Police expand investigation of student's disappearance

Friday

Nov 30, 2007 at 12:01 AMNov 30, 2007 at 1:27 AM

El Dorado police investigators are seeking information regarding the disappearance of 18-year-old Butler Community College student Emily Sander, who was last seen leaving a bar with Israel Mireles, 24, Friday evening.

Jon Pic

El Dorado police investigators are seeking information regarding the disappearance of 18-year-old Butler Community College student Emily Sander, who was last seen leaving a bar with Israel Mireles, 24, Friday evening.

Though it’s still not clear how it is connected to the investigation, it has been reported that Sander was also the subject of an adult Web site where she posed as a character named “Zoey Zane.” The site is no longer active.

“Investigators are aware that Ms. Sander was apparently involved in a Web site situation,” police chief Tom Boren said. “Allegations that this may factor in her disappearance are being thoroughly investigated, as these and over 75 other leads have been actively pursued.”

Boren said the following information is "being given the highest amount of energy and interest at this time:"

Mireles was seen at two businesses with Sander on the night of her disappearance, one of which was The Retreat – within a mile and a half of his motel room.

Without notifying his longtime employers, Mireles left town, leaving behind his motel room, which “appeared to be in great disarray and a large quantity of blood was found on the premises.” Additionally, some bed clothing was missing from the room, including a bedspread for which investigators are looking.

Police said that while Sander never returned home, Mireles traveled to Baxter Springs to pick up his pregnant girlfriend, Victoria Martens, 16, before traveling to Texas.

“Mireles was reportedly uninjured and healthy whenever he was talking to people in Baxter Springs,” Boren said.

Late Tuesday, an El Dorado detective and a Kansas Bureau of Investigation special agent traveled to Burnham, Texas, to investigate Mireles’ abandoned vehicle, which had been secured by local authorities and Texas Rangers.

“The vehicle … will be forensically examined in greater detail upon determining if the vehicle will be brought to Kansas or left in Texas for processing,” Boren said.

Boren also said investigators in Burnham were interviewing Mireles’ friends, family and associates. Police believe he may traveling to Mexico, where he also has family.
Immigration and Naturalization Service and Border Patrol are working on the case, as well, having been given photographs of Mireles and Martens.

El Dorado police continue a local search for information. Members of the Butler County Rescue Team were deployed for physical and electronic searches of the Walnut River dam area, Boren said.

“We have literally dozens of agencies working on this case with us,” Boren said.
A body has not turned up in the investigation, Boren said.

“Obviously, we do very much want to find Ms. Sander and hopefully that she will be well and healthy,” Boren said. “Our hopes kind of diminish each day that we don’t hear from her.”

Family and friends gathered in East Park for a vigil in hopes of finding Sander soon.

El Dorado Times

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